2018 was a great year for gaming, but even as masterpieces likeRed Dead Redemption 2andMarvel’s Spider-Manjostled for the spotlight, the soft-reboot ofGod of Waris still considered the annum’s best in the eyes of many. There’s good reason for the game’s acclaim and cultural relevance, as it is among the best examples of how to reinvent a popular IP, withSony Santa Monicataking huge narrative and gameplay swings that wound up paying dividends.
And it’s a good thing thatGod of Warwas a success, too, because the series needed it. While the classicGod of Wargames are revered as leaders in the hack-and-slash genre, the last of its kind—2013’sGod of War Ascension—was received with much less enthusiasm. It’s not a bad game by any means, and opinions on it have largely softened with time, but it’s typically considered a bit mediocre, which isn’t what a company like Sony wants from a flagship franchise. 2018’sGod of Waralso had the gargantuan task of starting a new chapter in the epic story, featuring an entirely new pantheon—an impressive creative leap that could have gone south quite easily. Needless to say, a lot was riding onGod of War, and thankfully, Sony was wise about this.
God of War Was Delayed Out of an Abundance of Caution
Speaking with Game File, former PlayStation boss Shuhei Yoshida shared an anecdote about2018’sGod of Warreboot. Originally, the game was meant to launch in 2017, so Yoshida visited Santa Monica Studio about six months ahead of that slated release date, concluding that the project was about “80% complete” at that time. But Yoshida wasn’t satisfied with the progress that was being made:
I had really struggled to play that one level that Cory [Balrog] wanted me to play. The enemy was shooting at me from behind the camera. I felt really cheated. And there were some frame rate issues and multiple things were not working.
So, Yoshida made the call to delay the game by six months, pushing it into 2017. As many gamers know all too well, big companies are often reluctant to delay high-profile games, as evidenced by so many big-budget titlesreleasing in an unfinished state. There are typically strong incentives behind the decision to release a game before it’s ready, though they shouldn’t be mistaken for concern about the consumer’s best interests: companies will rush out a game to meet shareholder expectations or slot into a desirable release window, such as the holiday season. In many cases, this approach does yield short-term benefits, but with greater long-term negatives.
God of War 2018 Proves How Essential Delays Can Often Be
The old adage “a delayed game is eventually good, a rushed game is bad forever” is strikingly relevant in this case.God of War’s 2018 reboot had an immeasurably positive impact onSony’s reputationduring the 8th console generation, playing a pivotal role in establishing the company as a leader in the narrative-driven action games space. If it were released too early, then its legacy would have been far different: it wouldn’t have had its eventual magic bullet effect on Sony’s reputation if it required months of patches to get fixed.
The delayed gamequote is often attributed to Shigeru Miyamoto, though this is widely believed to be a misquote. It was likely born from a number of different phrases with similar meanings.
Put another way, Sony might have been able to boost its fourth-quarter sales by releasing a less-than-perfect version ofGod of War2018, attracting new investors and satisfying existing ones, but at too great a cost. From a business perspective, more developers and publishers ought to be careful about overlooking the importance of goodwill and consumer trust, following Yoshida’s footsteps and letting a game come to term before delivery. After all, who knows howSony’s long-term salescould have been impacted if it dropped the ball on one of its biggest exclusives of the 2010s.
God of War
WHERE TO PLAY
From Santa Monica Studio and creative director Cory Barlog comes a new beginning for one of gaming’s most recognizable icons. Living as a man outside the shadow of the gods, Kratos must adapt to unfamiliar lands, unexpected threats, and a second chance at being a father. Together with his son Atreus, the pair will venture into the brutal Norse wilds and fight to fulfill a deeply personal quest.Bold New Beginning — His vengeance against the Gods of Olympus years behind him, Kratos now lives as a man in the realm of Norse Gods and monsters. It is in this harsh, unforgiving world that he must fight to survive…And teach his son to do the same. This startling reimagining of God of War deconstructs the core elements that defined the series—satisfying combat breathtaking scale and a powerful narrative—and fuses them anew.A Second Chance — Kratos is a father again. As mentor and protector to Atreus, a son determined to earn his respect, he is forced to deal with and control the rage that has long defined him while out in a very dangerous world with his son.A Darker, More Elemental World — From the marble and columns of ornate Olympus to the gritty forests, mountains, and caves of Pre-Viking Norse lore, this is a distinctly new realm with its own pantheon of creatures, monsters, and gods. With an added emphasis on discovery and exploration, the world will draw players in to explore God of War’s breathtakingly threatening landscape—by far the largest in the franchise.Vicious, Physical Combat — With an over the shoulder free camera that brings the player closer to the action than ever before, fights in God of War mirror the pantheon of Norse creatures Kratos will face: grand, gritty, and grueling. A new main weapon and new abilities retain the defining spirit of God of War while presenting a vision of violent conflict that forges new ground in the genre.
